The Van Buskirk Tribune

On July 10, Ella and I attended our first ever playdate!

I found a group of Seattle moms who cloth diaper, and we had our first meeting last Thursday. I was really nervous for both Ella and I because she normally does not do so well in group settings, and I am more of a keep-to-myself type until I get to know you.

Well, we both did great! Ella and I felt comfortable with the moms and children who were there, and I felt like the moms really understood when I told them that Ella is sensitive to strangers. Not to mention they knew what I was talking about when I said "fitted" or "PUL!"

We shared all the different diapers, played with all sorts of toys, and Ella even had a little "chat" with a cute little boy named Quinn. We have another meeting next month, and I have since joined two other Seattle mom's groups. One just as a playdate group, and the other is a babywearing group.

We have lots of fun in store!

Ella sprouted two new teeth!

She got the top right tooth on July 7, and the top left tooth on July 8!

Watch out! She bites hard!

You can see which teeth she has by clicking "4 teeth" to the left.

Over this last 4th of July weekend, Dustin and I took Ella camping! This was the first time she had ever had to sleep outside of a house or car seat, and she did so good! The first day, she was a little confused, but she managed a short nap. By the end of our trip, she had begun to get used to it, and was having no trouble at all getting to sleep right away.

It was a little on the cooler side, so the only pictures we were able to take of her, she was all bundled up. Still cute as heck, though!

We probably wont get a chance to go back out again this year, but next year she will be walking, and will probably have more fun (what, with all the dirt, rocks, and sticks!).

In honor of the upcoming holiday, Independence Day, Ella has decided to use this time to kick start the next step in the transition from baby to toddlerhood. On Friday, June 27^th, Ella got up on her hands and knees for the first time. As you might know, this is the very first step towards crawling. Since Friday, she has started to rock back and forth, and I am trying to bribe her with toys to get her to move forward. So far, she’s only figured out backwards.

On Tuesday, July 1^st, Ella pulled her self up from a sitting position to a standing position. This is something I am not quite ready for, because when she gets good at standing, she’ll start cruising, and cruising leads to walking. She’s only seven months old!

These things are just a small part of her wanting to become more independent. When she is being held by someone (not usually anyone outside of her little family circle), she will “steer” you towards something she sees or wants by leaning and reaching towards the way she wants you to go. Right now, I am her vehicle of choice, and the day is coming where she is her own vehicle. We have far too many things for her to get into, and none of it is baby safe!

Here is a short video of Ella doing what we call “the butt hump.” In this video, you’ll see that she lunges forward, instead of backward. This is the first time I’ve seen her do that…